Jinxter

Jinxter,
when reduced to its commonest denominator, is a work of interactive fiction
enhanced by images. However, unlike many similar products, Jinxter gives
each of these two components its full attention, with the result being
closer to a novel than to a comic book, and more engaging than your standard
video game.

Jinxter's
storyline centers around the city of Aquitana-once a paradise, now deteriorating.
A magical charm bracelet which protected the town has mysteriously lost
its power. Consequently, the once happy inhabitants are now falling under
the influence of evil Green Witches. In fact, things are so desperate
that the only hope is for you to retrieve the seven charms of the bracelet.
To do so, you'll have to travel the land, meet other characters and generally
have a great adventure.

Jinxter
is first-class all the way. The user interface is elegant, with four highly
detailed pull-down scrolls attached to a windowshade-like bar that can
be pulled down to reveal as much of the current image as you want, or
pushed up to read previous commands and text.

You communicate
with the program by using complete sentences which, easing the pain of
chronic typos, can be recalled and edited at will. A nice feature lets
you assign any command string to each of the 10 function keys, speeding
entry of repetitive commands. The lively prose is a rapidly paced narrative
that pulls you in. Colorful characters bring the entire world of Jinxter
to life.

While
the stunning (though static) graphics spice up the game, the text is so
descriptive, so engaging, that these images quickly take a back seat to
the story. Overall I can recommend Jinxter as a fine work of interactive
fiction, one with a sense of humor that will make it a joy to read.-STEVE
PANAK